Dakine's latest sliding hook is a really clean design, super solid, and slides with the right amount of tension. I have been using their sliding hooks for 5 years and each year they step it up. The latest has kevlar reinforced webing and a pronounced curved bar.

Any of the ones you listed in your OP are great for wave riding and going toe side. However, if you want to do big boosts just know that when you send the kite the sliding hook will whip all the way to the side and when you send the kite back to land it will whip back across your slider bar. It makes it a little tricky to get used to that much movement. I had a 13" spread so that was a lot of distance for the hook to be sliding at a high rate of speed when sending the kite.

I have used the Dynabar V7 for a couple years now, and it works great. As others have stated it allowes you to point higher into the wind so it greatly improves upwind riding toe side. I tried the 2013 Dakine slider bar down in Hatteras this Spring. My experience was the nylon stap would stretch / separate from the pad and I could never get it tight enough to remain close to the pad, which is how I believe it was designed to operate. My primary problem with it however was the strap the hook slides on was folding over on itself as the hook slid thus doubling the thickness and impacting free movement. Once the nylon was creased the issue would constantly reoccur. I took it back to exchange it as I hoped it was just a defective bar, but the shop returned it stating another bar would most likely do the same thing. I suspect they saw this issue before. I just ordered a custom harness from https://shop.ride-engine.com/. I need the custom back support, and thier integrated slider bar set up is extemily inovative and not like anything else on the market. Stoked for it to get here!

I have at least a dozen sessions on the Dynabar and I feel no reason to return to a fixed hook. From day one, there was nothing to get used to. It just does its thing automatically and the best part is I forget it's even there. Since that time I tried it with my Liquid Force boardshorts, which I haven't used since I was a newbie. One of the limitations of a seat style harness is the zero movement on the harness itself. This makes for less efficient toeside riding, at least for my less than expert skills. Now that I've coupled the boardshorts with a sliding hook, it's become the best of both worlds, but this is the subject for a different topic - seat vs waist harness.

Other seasoned riders ask if I think sliding hooks like the Dynabar are a gimmick. All I can say is try one for yourself. Now I'm not into wakestyle , so for my style of riding: waves, freeriding, cruising, and working on less outrageous tricks, contraptions like the Dynabar are all upside without any minuses that I'm aware of. I'll never go back.

Someone asked about the Dakine sliding version. I too looked at one. I decided on the Dynabar V7 with the Pro Wave bar. For me it was a question of reliability and consistency. I suspected that the Dakine strap would stretch over time and would eventually need replacing. With all the things that can go wrong on the water, the more reliable the gear the better. The Pro Wave bar (It's not just for waves and is designed for freeride as well) works just fine without any stretch, and unlike ropes or straps won't break.

I too considered making my own sliding hook, but in the end for the additional money, why reinvent the wheel? It works, it's reliable, and it's safe.

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